Do the ends justify the means for your dog?

My post Double standards for dog owners? last week provoked a lot of comment, on social media, some here, and in my inbox. Not surprising for a topic that polarises people.

But the apologists - who were vociferous in their sneering - seemed to overlook one principle. After saying all the nonsense about how these nasty gadgets don’t hurt ⚡️ 😵‍💫 they reckoned that the result justified whatever they did to get it.

The outcome from the use of punishment and punitive equipment is normally a shut-down dog - exhibiting the learned helplessness I referenced last week. Or it can result in far worse and unpredictable behaviour, when the dog’s tolerance is at an end, and the dog is destroyed.

Apart from the fact that both of these are horrible outcomes to inflict on any living creature, they are overlooking the fact that “the end justifies the means” is the cry that has been used by extremists of all kinds, down the centuries, to excuse oppression, torture, and wholesale slaughter.

It is not acceptable.

We, as civilised people, have moved forward in so many ways. Children are no longer beaten, women are not stoned to death, slavery is forbidden, corporal punishment in prisons and the services is no longer permitted.

And yet there are still plenty of people around who think it’s JUST FINE to do these things to animals.

It was no surprise to me to look at the social page of one of those who told me it was all perfect and hunky-dory, and see that they espouse extreme right-wing political views, especially on race and gun use.

It all fits.

Don’t put up with this!

If you believe we should treat animals as kindly as we would like to be treated ourselves, stand up and be counted!

The nonsensical claims from “The Dark Side” need to be countered. Commonsense needs to win the day.

Results from the Growly Workshop

Well . . . even I am amazed by the results the Workshoppers got from my free 5 Day Live Workshop for your Growly but Brilliant Family Dog,

And now you can join my free Masterclass for Growly Dogs and get similar results!

People with anxious dogs, shy dogs, reactive dogs. People who could not understand why their dog - who is so lovely at home - looks like a sabre-toothed tiger when out.

• We had puppies stopping biting.

• We had dogs walking nicely on the lead.

• We had dogs passing other dogs without a meltdown.

• We had dogs coming when called!

All within five action-packed days!

Carol bubbled with pleasure: “I am so happy, and so are my 4-leggeds! Thank you for this Beverley Courtney!”

Sally was amazed at how her very shy and timid Misty got on.

“We can not believe what this has done for our anxious girl. A safe place. A focus. A place where she knows she's doing the right thing. First time at the pub tonight. We had people gasping in amazement as she dived on the mat after a little explore then stayed there. Best thing ever.”

Andrea was bowled over with such quick results which her whole family could enjoy:

“I’m already seeing results with him learning to transfer the skills he has learned from this course into his walks. Thanks for a fantastic learning opportunity for our family!”

And this is what Cath said:

“Brilliant video lesson and fantastic course. Ben and Duke really enjoying it so far and I am loving seeing them having such fun. Thank you!”

Not just dogs!

I’m used to hearing about positive change for the dogs in the Workshop, and for their harassed and baffled owners. But I think this evidence from Caitlin is a first!

“I’m amazed by the change already, thank you so much for this Workshop and the advice this week. I had my blood pressure taken today and it had also greatly improved so win win for all of us xx”

Tracie wrote, “Thank you Beverley for this free workshop. Lilly and I went for a walk this afternoon and she was A LOT calmer and so was I. I am looking forward to continuing lessons.”  And she’s now one of many who chose to carry on working with me in my advanced program.

Isn’t this what we all want? A calm life for us and our troubled dogs?

Hannah-Jade told us that Hank is now choosing to hang out with her more often rather than being aloof! “This is really helping our relationship.”

Real, deep, change

Natasha said one of the most moving things. She said,

“In just two days I’ve had a complete change of thinking in how I treat Oscar.”

For me, that makes everything worthwhile!

And Charlotte told us,

“This course has helped me fall back in love with my dog and given me hope for the future. It is a wonderful feeling to know that I can take the lead in his training rather than feeling I have to hand over my dog to someone else. Just this week I feel our bond has gone from strength to strength and I am really excited about the future.

Alfie is asleep while I write this and watch your sessions, instead of pacing about and obsessing over background noises thanks to the training sessions you have put in place for us.”

Wow! That’s some change!

Shannon simply wrote:

“Loving this course thank you so much: lifesaver!”

Might it be a lifesaver for you too?

How to get these results for yourself and your dog

“Three tries and then she did it and walked outside calmly - I can’t believe it!!”  Kirsty

Want to know WHAT Kirsty tried? Here’s the Workshop! Even if you missed the live event you can still benefit from it now, and find out just what gave these folk such amazing transformations.

And to get started straight away with lessons to help your Growly Dog cope with our world, watch our

Free Masterclass for Growly Dogs

It’s ok to punish a dog to get what we want

It’s not all that long ago that children were sent up chimneys to clean them, and young children are still being used as slave labour.

These children are seen as possessions. Things to use and abuse as their “owners” see fit.

But in civilised countries we just don’t think that any more! Hooray!

Another thing that’s changed is our approach to animals. More and more countries are building animal protection into their law books. For wild animals, farm animals, and for our pets.

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But there’s one place where people have a blind spot

And that’s aversive equipment.

Equipment designed to inflict pain.

You can save as many whales as you like, but if you still think it’s ok to put an electric shock collar on a dog (or force a 5-year-old child to work in a factory), you’re barking up the wrong tree!

I understand why you may think that shock collars, prong collars, choke chains and the like are ok to use on your dog. There are a lot of people - some of them calling themselves “dog trainers” - who are heavily invested in using these instruments of torture.

Why? The answer is simple but shocking.

Because they don’t know any better.

The only way they know to get results is by punishing the animal in their care. Whether the dog understands why it’s being punished doesn’t seem to cross their mind.

The fallout of using pain and intimidation to get quick results is a closed book to them. They don’t even bother to look at what happens later.

Using inhumane equipment to reach their ends is making them inhuman.

You wouldn’t want to be a part of that, would you?

The science of getting the results you want in animal training, without lifting a finger to harm the dog, or even ever saying NO, has been proven for almost a hundred years.

We are so behind!  

What’s good?

The good news is that more and more countries are changing their laws and BANNING these awful devices. I’m fortunate to live in one of those countries that has seen the light. **

Tell me, would you punish a child for doing something you don’t like?

Or would you rather TEACH him how to do what you DO like?

Would you give your child an electric shock if he didn’t answer you immediately?

The very thought sends shivers down my spine.

And I get those same shivers when I see that people are brainwashed into thinking it’s actually ok to administer pain to an animal.

The fact (and that’s proven scientifically) is that “training” done via methods of punishment does not last. And has many side-effects that make everything worse.

The child who’s punished for stealing a biscuit is not going to know why it’s wrong to steal. He’s just going to make sure he doesn’t get caught in the future!

The dog who’s punished for being afraid of something is now going to be afraid of his owner as well. His first fear is now superseded by the more immediate fear of the person holding the lead, or the electric transmitter. (They actually call it a “controller”. I rest my case.)

Rhyme and reason go out the window.

In both cases, you’re just teaching avoidant behaviour, not resolving the issue.

The future is bright!

Do you want to learn a way to actually communicate with your dog, and - miracle! - get HER to make good decisions without you even having to tell her?

The way forward is open for you to choose to do things with your dog and stop doing things to your dog.

It's ok to hurt a dog to get what we want

** Countries that have banned electric shock collars now include:

• England

• Scotland

• Wales

• Denmark

• Norway

• Sweden

• Austria

• Switzerland

• Slovenia

• Germany

• Canada

• Australia

Dog or Puppy problems? Get your free 8-lesson email course and solve them all painlessly!

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Hooray! Shock collars banned in UK!

I wish I could say that these inhumane torture devices were banned universally, but sadly that is unlikely ever to happen.

What I can say is that England has just now joined Wales and Scotland in banning the beastly things for cats and dogs. The details of the legislation haven’t been released yet. Sadly the British government stopped short of banning underground electric shock fences and their collars. Why one shock is allowed and another not, I don’t know.

Known as e-collars, shock collars, training collars, they can deliver up to 6,000 volts to the dog’s neck, directly into the holes made by the spikes in the collar, which can last up to 11 seconds. Factor in that some electronic gadgets are faulty, and there are collars that don’t turn off at all, and you truly have an instrument of torture.

Also banned are collars that make a painful noise in the dog’s sensitive ears, or squirt a nasty liquid into his face. Once squirted, this scent remains in the dog’s nose, making this a long and painful punishment.

The use of shock collars is now also banned in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Germany, and in some territories of Australia - New South Wales and Southern Australia. 

So civilisation is slowly creeping over the world!

Why are they bad?

Science has proven without any doubt whatsoever, that associating good things with something has the effect of making that thing acceptable to an animal.

The opposite is true: associating bad things with something will make the dog more reactive or fearful of the thing.

Example: A dog is pulling on the lead. Just as the misguided owner administers an electric shock, the dog catches sight of a child. Now children are associated with pain and fear. How long before the dog takes matters into his own paws and bites a child to keep this dangerous thing away from him before he gets another shock? 

It’s simple science - not the rocket variety! 

Dog or Puppy problems? Get your free 8-lesson email course and solve them all painlessly!

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What can you do to accelerate this change? 

Many people think that the collars are harmless and just give a tickle to the neck. If you believe this, try one on your toddler. Or your neighbour’s toddler if you haven’t got one. No? Thought not … 

And many people also think that it’s right to change an animal’s behaviour by torture and punishment. Have a look at Amnesty International and see what they think of that! If it’s wrong to do this to people - and I’m sure if you’re reading this post you agree with that! - then how can it be right to do it to animals?

Be aware that people who do use them have a raft of excuses ready to pour out to you. To me that smacks of “the lady doth protest too much”. They know it’s wrong, but they try to justify it to themselves and anyone else who will listen. 

What it comes down to is that people like to dominate others, including animals. Some think force is acceptable. And making their own life easier at the expense of others’ rights and dignity is ok by them. 

I was offered money to promote these

I’ve had a few emails recently from websites who promote these nasty devices, and other collars which I would consider cruel or aversive. They offered me money to advertise them on Brilliant Family Dog. How desperate are they? 

There’s no way I’d advertise them - “not even for ready money” as Oscar Wilde put it! 

You can rest assured that you will never find cruel or aversive, punishing devices or methods promoted here! We know that the results we want can all be achieved by kind and gentle methods. Yes - it sometimes may take longer, but we’re not just looking at the result: the journey itself is enjoyable.

With your own family it’s the daily give-and-take that creates the abiding love and comfort that drives us to make family groups. We don’t just want the perfect, finished, child (or husband!). We live the process daily and enjoy what it brings to our relationships. 

And that is what I do with my pet animals too (and my farm animals when I had them). It’s the process of training, growing understanding, mutual appreciation - love - that is what we want in a relationship with our animals. Taking a shortcut to the desired result cuts all this learning out.

What people miss by doing this!

Other nasty things

Sadly man has devised other nasty things for the animals we choose to share our homes with. Reminiscent of the slave trade collars long since banned, the “prong” or “pinch” (what a euphemism!) collars are also promoted for a quick fix for any dog behaviour problems.

These collars have spikes on the inside that dig into the dog’s neck. “Oh, it doesn’t hurt him!” the deluded owner may say. Again - try it on someone you love. 

Keep in mind that dogs’ necks and throats are physiologically identical to our necks and throats. All the components are in exactly the same place as ours are. The only difference is a light bit of hair-covering, soon worn away by the use of these collars. 

If you need evidence that the people who use these collars actually know that they’re wrong and demeaning, know that there are now disguised collars available. From the outside it looks like a pretty collar. Inside are the rows of teeth. Despicable. 

What can I do instead?

So to end on a happier note - people are now realising how wrong this all is, and governments are taking action to ban their sale and use. 

What else can you use to get the results you want with your difficult or challenging dog? Check out our free courses and start learning a new way of working with your dog which is pleasurable for all parties. Watch your dog blossom!

You could start with this one which gives you simple kind and painfree "recipes" to change aspects of your dog's behaviour which you don't love.

Dog or Puppy problems? Get your free 8-lesson email course and solve them all painlessly!

THIS FREE ECOURSE IS A BONUS FOR YOU WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EDUCATIONAL EMAILS AND OCCASIONAL OFFERS FROM ME. YOU CAN UNSUBSCRIBE AT ANY TIME.
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